


Ridin' & Rollin'

by twinklylix



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 00 line are in senior year, Carnival, Character Development, Chatlogs, Developing Friendships, Graduation, How Do I Tag, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, School Clubs, Texting, also based off the ridin' club, anonymous letters, based off the ridin' mv, chenle plays piano, haechan is in the theatre, jeno is a boxer, jisung plays baseball, minor mentions of abuse, other nct members are either friends or family, renjun is being bullied, renjun jisung and hendery are roommates, xiaojun and chenle live together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinklylix/pseuds/twinklylix
Summary: ❝Dear Na Jaemin,Thank you for taking the time to read this note, for as this is your official invitation to join the first and certainly not last, Ridin' Club!Along with yourself, there shall be five other participants invited to this function, whom all attend your school in particular. Taking note that you are graduating in one month, I would like to offer you the experience and opportunity to make new friends for the journey adulthood has to offer. As for your current friends, it'd be in your best option to drop them, they aren't worth your time.The meeting place for the Ridin' Club is located in a secluded area of your school, please see the attached map on the other side of this letter.Yours truly,Hyung.❞or: a tale in which six boys get recruited by an anonymous leader, but don’t know what they’ve been recruited for.
Relationships: Undisclosed Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost from my Wattpad account! If you would prefer to read this with that format, here's the link: [RIDIN'](https://www.wattpad.com/877924235-%F0%9D%97%A5%F0%9D%97%9C%F0%9D%97%97%F0%9D%97%9C%F0%9D%97%A1%27-%F0%9D%99%A3%F0%9D%99%98%F0%9D%99%A9-%F0%9D%99%99%F0%9D%99%A7%F0%9D%99%9A%F0%9D%99%96%F0%9D%99%A2-%E3%83%9F%E2%98%85-ridin%27)
> 
> if there are any tags I've forgotten to mention above, please let me know in the comments!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Friday night carnival leads to much confusion as six completely different boys receive letters, inviting them to a club that no else knows about.

The funfair that the city had organised was huge, almost taking up a whole two blocks. In the centre of the fairground was a carousel which was lit up in the dark Seoul night. It wasn't too cold, as it was almost summer now and it was warm enough to not need a coat yet.

There were a lot of people walking around the carnival as the night went on. There were rides, mini-games and of course, the aforementioned carousel in the centre of it all. Upbeat kpop music was blasting from the speakers and it was overall a good night.

Friday night was perfect for this, after all, the high school seniors had just finished their final exams and most considered it a celebration. The seniors were finally graduating and getting ready to go to university. Although they still had a bit of time before leaving high school, the senior students wanted to make the most of the last of their teenage years before becoming adults.

Someone was walking around the showgrounds observing the students closely before moving on. Fixing his face mask and hat, he proceeded to look around some of the rides on the left side of the carnival. Deciding to try and have a bit of fun, he purchased a ticket for one of the rides that spin around at a fast pace. He handed it over to the ride manager who led him over to a seat where another young boy was sitting.

The masked male waved and sat next to him, the worker strapping them into the seat and waiting for a couple more people to come on the ride.

"Hello, are you a fan of rides?" the boy asked him. With a shake of his head, he replied, "No, not really but this one isn't so bad."

The boy nodded and continued waiting for the ride to start. The masked male discreetly stared at him from the corner of his eye before nodding shortly. The ride started, the music even louder from this side. The boy beside him cheered and threw his arms up into the air in happiness.

Once the ride was over, the worker came to release them from the safety of the seat and the boy went to grab his backpack from the front of the ride. He quickly slipped a letter inside of the boy's backpack and took off before he could notice him.

It wasn't hard to find the others after that, the next one was sitting alone at a table near the food caravans, eating tteokbokki.

"Are you alone?" He asked the male, who looked up from his food. The boy nodded and he took a seat next to the tteokbokki eating boy.

"Why are you here? There's no point."

"Of course there is. There's always a point." the tteokbokki boy looked up.

"Do I know you?" "No, I'm just a passer-by. I hope you get treated better at university." With that, the masked male stood up and pushed an envelope towards him, moving to walk away.

"Wait, how do you- what's this? Excuse me!" he ignored the boy calling after him and continued on his way to find the remaining four boys. One was sitting near the big stage of the event where cover groups were performing their favourite songs. He was gently nodding his head to the rhythm as he walked over.

"The music is nice, isn't it. They're all so talented." the boy asked, still swaying to the beat of the song.

"Do you do anything with music?" "Yeah, I play the piano at school. What about you?" he paused at the question, not wanting to give himself away.

"Well, I used to play the guitar at my old high school, before I graduated. Then I stopped. Maybe I'll play it again... Someday..." the masked male said mysteriously before bowing.

"I'll be off. See you around!" while the younger wasn't looking, he placed the letter on his lap and walked off, ready to find the three other boys.

The night was picking up as he walked around looking for the other few boys, being about 9 pm now. He had eaten about 10 minutes ago and was ready to find the three boys he once knew. It was another half an hour before he found someone. They had grown up well, the male noted as he approached the boy.

"Hi, are you with anyone?" he asked him, the boy shaking his head.

"I came by myself because my so-called 'friends' called the carnival stupid. I don't see how though, the lights are so pretty and the carousel is pretty cool, isn't it?" the boy rambled a bit, but the masked male listened.

"The carnival is supposed to bring the town together. They aren't real friends if they don't stay by your side, J-" the male's phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket and took it as an excuse to run off from the male in front of him, he pulled the device out and looked at the screen. "My mum is calling me and I have to pick it up, sorry I couldn't be here longer. Here..."

He shoved a letter into the boy's hands and ran off, pretending to be picking up the call until he was sure he got out of his line of sight. Two more boys to find. The male was standing in line to the Ferris Wheel, alone, why were all of the boys alone? He thought as he brought a ticket. luckily, he had just entered the line.

"Wanna go on together?" he asked the boy in front of him. He looked confused and then pointed to himself, mouthing 'me'? The masked male nodded and stood beside him.

"Sure?" the two boys entered a carriage together after showing their tickets to the manager and the door was closed tightly behind them.

"What's your name?" the boy asked suspiciously, the masked male expecting it.

"Just call me hyung, all right?" that was all he said to the male opposite him.

"What if i'm older?" "'99 liner." he pointed to himself.

"What do you gain by being on this ride with me? I just want to go back to the school and not graduate, even if I know what I want to do," the boy let out all at once, the masked male straining to understand properly. The ride was beginning to slow down as the carriage they were in was reaching the ground. The male ignored his first question and pushed an envelope which said 'open at home, it's very important' on the back.

"I'll see you around then." and the male left the boy behind who was still trying to comprehend what had happened. One to go.

He didn't spot the last boy for the rest of the night until when he was leaving the fairground. The boy was talking with someone whom he hugged before walking off, alone.

"Hey!" the boy turned, shocked, before running from him. "Ya! I just want to talk!" His voice might seem familiar to the other if he yells like this so he tried to lower it.

"How do you know me?" he yelled, a fair distance away. "You were in my class one year!" was what the masked male shouted back.

"What do you want?" "To give you something!" the boy stopped walking backwards and stared at the male.

"Put it on the ground and go, I don't trust you!" the boy had a point. So he showed the backside of the letter and placed it on the ground in front of him, starting to walk back the way he came. "Here," and the male left.

The boy picked up the letter, turning it over and seeing the red words on the back. He put it in his backpack and quickly made his way home, scared that something would jump out and kidnap him before he could read the letter the masked figure had dropped on the ground. What if it was an invitation to his death?

"What was his deal?" the boy muttered as he unlocked the door to his apartment. He pulled the letter out of his bag when he got into the kitchen and looked over it again, seeing if there was anything suspicious. He couldn't hear anything in the apartment, which means his roommates were still at the carnival. He picked up a butter knife and undid the seal of the envelope, pulling out the letter.

"Invitation to... _The Ridin' Club?_ "


	2. one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up on the morning after the carnival, the boys finally read through their letters, and receive something from the sender.

Waking up the morning after the carnival was difficult for Na Jaemin, still upset that his 'friends' had ditched him for a stupid senior party. The male who had talked to him briefly was still in his mind, and the letter he had pressed into his hands before leaving, was buried in his backpack somewhere, he didn't know. Jaemin rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and threw the blankets away from his body, heading to his bathroom to ready himself for the day.

Fresh out of the shower, Jaemin rummaged through his bag, trying to find the letter he has carelessly thrown in after the man left him last night. He eventually found it and took it into the kitchen, quickly making himself a bowl of cereal and sitting down at the bench. He ripped open the envelope and took out the letter looking over it briefly before bringing his eyes back up to the top.

**❝Dear Na Jaemin,**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this note, for as this is your official invitation to join the first and certainly not last, Ridin' Club!**

**Along with yourself, there shall be five other participants all invited to this function, whom all attend your school in particular. Taking note that you are graduating in one month, I would like to offer you the experience and opportunity to make new friends for the journey adulthood has to offer. As for your current friends, it'd be in your best option to drop them, they aren't worth your time.**

**The meeting place for the Ridin' Club is located in a secluded area of your school, please see the attached map on the other side of this letter.**

**Yours truly,**

**Hyung.❞**

"How does he know the school?" Jaemin mumbled to himself, scanning over the letter again before turning it over. as 'hyung' said, there was a map showing where the 'Ridin' Club' would meet.

"Who are the other boys then? 'Hyung' didn't mention names..."

The piano music came to a stop as Zhong Chenle looked at the letter that the male from last night had placed on his lap, his name in Chinese. How he had known that he was from China, Chenle didn't know. A stalker, perhaps? Continuing to practice the piece he needed to play for the senior play, his gaze drifted to the envelope on his bed.

"Chenle! Breakfast is ready!"

"Coming, ge!" Chenle closed his sheet music book and trudged into the kitchen, sitting at the bench as his older cousin, Xiaojun placed bacon and eggs in front of him.

"Here you go, Lele," Xiaojun pet his cousin on the head before sitting next to him.

"Thanks, Jun-ge," the younger mumbled, picking up his chopsticks and shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth. His mind went back to the envelope (he still hasn't opened it), that was sitting on the bed. Chenle considered telling Xiaojun, after all, he was older and he trusts him, but he decided not to. It's his letter, not Xiaojun's.

Quickly finishing his breakfast and placing the plate and chopsticks in the sink and thanking his cousin for the food, he went back into his bedroom and jumped onto the bed. Staring at the envelope again, he decided fuck it and tore it open, pulling out the letter inside.

"The Ridin' Club? What's that?" there were no other explanations written. On a separate piece of paper showed where the location of the club was to be held. How the hyung knew his name, how he spends his time out of his classes, nothing.

"Did you say something, Lele?" Xiaojun poked his head in the doorway of the room.

"It's nothing Jun-ge," Chenle hid the letter so the older didn't get suspicious. "Go to your boyfriend's house or something."

Xiaojun laughed, mentioning something about making plans and closed the door. Looking at the letter again, Chenle wondered, would I be able to make friends?

The letter was practically glaring at Jisung as he walked into the kitchen of his shared apartment. He had left it there by accident and wasn't sure if his roommates had seen it or not. He wasn't even sure if they were home or not after the carnival. Jisung didn't care, he didn't know them as well as he should. Exams were finally over for the year and the boy couldn't be happier, almost like he was graduating, except he wasn't.

Picking up the letter from the countertop and bringing it back to his room (mainly so his roommates wouldn't see it and interrogate him), He looked through it again. the Ridin' Club sounded interesting, but what does that entail for him and the five other boys included in the club. Who was the man, who technically didn't give him the letter, that knew who he was?

The sound of the shower running distracted him, someone must be taking a shower. Jisung had wanted to last night but immediately fell asleep after hitting his pillow, the events of the previous night exhausting him. The shower stopped and the male looked up slightly. Begrudgingly, he got off the bed and grabbed some clothes and a towel before heading into the to clean up.

Coming out of the bathroom, he caught sight of one of his roommates making breakfast.

"It's just toast, Jisung. Don't get too excited," the older warned.

"Thanks, hyung." Jisung took a seat at the small dining table and looked through his phone. One of his teammates were asking to hang out. He declined, saying he was busy and turned the device off. The toast was placed in front of him, the younger mumbling thanks and picked one of the slices up and bit into it.

"What are you doing today, Ji?" his roommate asked, quietly. Jisung figured the other was still in bed.

"Staying inside. I don't want to go out after last night," he told the older. He nodded and continued eating in silence.

"Morning, children!" "Morning, hyung," Jisung replied, the older taking a seat at the table. ("I'm a year younger than you, ge.")

"Where's your boyfriend, hyung?" the eldest scowled at the youngest. "His apartment. I'm not with him 24/7, Jisung!"

"I beg to differ." all three of them laughed. It was peaceful and Jisung didn't think of the letter for the rest of the day.

Renjun cleaned up his plate and placed it in the sink and leaving it for one of his other roommates to do (he did it last time they all ate together). The Chinese male rushed to his room and closed the door, locking it so his nosy roommates wouldn't disturb him. Looking through the drawer in his desk, eventually finding the letter he was given last night. Quickly looking in the small mirror, Renjun noticed the bruising around his eye was healing from last week.

His roommates knew that he was getting bullied, no matter how many times he denied it. It was obvious, even with the excessive amounts of concealer and foundation that were 'hidden' in the bathroom cabinet. It was useless and although his roommates had a shared amount of 3.75 brain cells between them, they weren't stupid.

Finally opening the letter, he looked through it in shock. The man knew everything, from how he was bullied to what school he went to.

"What's the Ridin' Club?" Renjun mumbled to himself, turning over the note to see the map that was mentioned in the letter. He knew where it was, right up the back of the school, near the music rooms. He'd never been in there but some of the other students said it had been locked for years, no one knowing where the key was. There were no windows or any other way to get into the room beside the door at the back of the music wing.

There was a sound from Renjun's phone, causing him to look around for it before eventually finding it. There was a message from a group chat that he was sure was a joke before he read the messages already sent.

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_hello, welcome to the ridin' club. this is a group chat for you all and myself to keep in contact. until wednesday, you will not reveal your identities to each other, although you may all know each other. but until then, you can't say who you are in this group chat. any questions?_

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_why can't we say who we are?_

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_because it's a surprise._

Renjun looked through the members of the group chat and was surprised to see someone he already had a saved contact for someone. He was about to text the number but another message came through.

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_even if you know each personally, you can't say anything until you meet on wednesday._

Renjun clicked back into the group chat and read the message, beginning to type one out himself.

**renjun:**  
_how did you know who we all were?_

Lee Jeno was the epitome of surprise. He had found an envelope in his bag the morning after the carnival and suddenly, he was in a group chat with six other people. He texted the chat, a reply to the message previously sent.

**jeno:**  
_yeah, you were on the ride with me and then i felt a tug on my backpack and then no one was there and then, this morning i found a letter in my bag. what is the ridin' club exactly if you wouldn't mind elaborating?_

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_the ridin' club is the gathering of a group of people i used to know before something happened. i won't explain much else beyond that but i can say i went to your school. as someone asked me on the ferris wheel last night, i'm your hyung. how about you guys tell everyone how you got your letters?_

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_wait, i was on the ferris wheel last night... and someone told me to call them hyung..._

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_i was eating_

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_i was just enjoying the music until a man approached me_

**jeno:**  
i already said how i got mine.

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_i was just talking to someone until they got a call, and they left_

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**  
_i told a man to leave the letter on the ground when i was heading home because i thought i was gonna get killed._

Jeno was even more confused by the group chat. So they were all from the same school and they were all at the carnival the previous night? Getting up off the bed and switching his phone off, he wandered into the kitchen where his family friend was standing, making breakfast.

"Hey, hyung," Jeno greeted, rubbing his eyes and reaching into the cupboard for a panadol for his headache.

"Hey, kid. Your parents already went to work." Kim Doyoung, his mother's friends son, waved at him, continuing to stir the pot.

"When did you get here?" he gulped down some water and put the glass upside down on the rack.

"An hour ago, you must've been still asleep or you are deaf."

"I am not deaf."

"Lee Donghyuck! Get down here you brat!" shaking slightly, Donghyuck slowly walked down the stairs of his parents' house. His mum and dad were both heavy drinkers and often went out at night and didn't come back until the early hours of the morning, but they were also abusive and often hit Donghyuck, leaving him with scars and bruises. That's why he stayed in the auditorium, alone, because no one cared enough.

"Y-yes mother?" unhappy with his stuttered reply, she whacked his head with her hand sharply.

"Start cooking breakfast and it had better be done in half an hour." she left him alone, shaking at the bottom of the staircase.

Finally free from his horrible mother, Donghyuck ran up the stairs and cast a look at the letter he had opened as soon as he had gotten home last night. The Ridin' Club. Looking at his phone, paid for with money he had earned from his secret part-time job, there were several messages from a group chat. Responding quickly, he turned the device off and tossed it under his pillow.

The boy from the Ferris Wheel came to mind suddenly and Donghyuck felt like he knew him. Although he could barely see the boy's face, his voice was a little familiar but he couldn't think of where he had heard it before. There had been a slight accent from what Donghyuck could pick up but he didn't know where it could've come from.

Picking up his phone again, he looked back at the messages that had been sent by the members of the Ridin' Club. He would just have to wait until Wednesday before he could properly meet them, maybe even the leader. Even if he stayed in the auditorium most of the time, he knew a lot of the students that go to his school. Maybe he would be able to find the members before Wednesday?

Donghyuck didn't know how to find them, but all he could do is attend the first meeting on Wednesday to finally meet them.


	3. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A view into the six boys school lives and friendships, as well as a surprising first meeting.

Turning up to school on Wednesday, Jeno was nervous. He didn't know who any of the boys were and they could be in all different years to him. He only had a month left of high school before he graduated and in Jeno's opinion, it was a frightening thought because he didn't know what to expect.

The first period of the school day had passed before his phone vibrated against his thigh in the middle of his second lesson. The text reads '3 pm'. Was that the time for the first official meeting of the Ridin' Club?

Throughout the day, the anxiety of meeting the others in this club made itself present in Jeno's mind. It especially flared up during his lunch period where he looked around the hall. His small friend circle were starting to get a little worried for him when he didn't stop.

"Hey, Jeno. Are you okay? Who or what are you looking for?" Jaeyun asked him over the sound of other students.

"Huh?" Jeno turned back to his four friends, whom all thought he looked a little sad, without his infamous eye smiles.

"Who are you looking for, Jen?" Chani asked, shifting his body so he was looking in the direction that Jeno was staring in before.

"Oh, uh, no one. I'm fine." Jeno smiled with his eyes before returning to his half-eaten lunch. The four boys exchanged glances before they also continued eating lunch with their friend.

Donghyuck entered the cafeteria, before deciding it was too much and leaving out the door as quick as he came in. Yanking the locker open and grabbing his backpack, he walked off toward the auditorium, where he spends most of his time. He was sometimes alone in coming here, but his best friend, a semi-popular boy named Hyunjin joined him a majority of the time.

The older managed to make him laugh with silly dramatics, then helping each other with schoolwork. In turn, Donghyuck had told him a little bit about his home life, how his parents were drunkards and what they did to him.

"They can't do that, right?" Hyunjin had asked him when Donghyuck had told the story, the answer being no.

"But they do it anyway because they think that they should be allowed to order me around like a servant instead of a son."

A year later, they were still close friends, helping each other and being there when the other needed it. The door opened slightly, revealing the boy he was waiting for.

"Are you excited for graduation, Hyuckie?" Hyunjin asked, closing the door to the auditorium. He immediately spotted the younger sitting on the stage, eating in silence. Walking over, he jumped onto the stage next to his friend and pulled out his lunch.

"Even if I have something I want to study at uni, I'm worried about how my parents will treat me when I leave home..." Turning away from his friend, he didn't see the genuine concern on Hyunjin's face when he had said that.

"Are you gonna study drama at university, Hyuckie?" The older asked in a low voice, knowing that his friend was starting to get emotional if he looked away from him.

"Mum and dad don't even know I sent in a scholarship form for uni. I'm relying on a scholarship to let me continue studying drama because my parents would never help me," Hyuck answered, looking back at Hyunjin. Jumping off the stage, Hyunjin pulled him down and hugged him. Muttering incoherent things into his friend's shoulder, Donghyuck started crying a little.

"Hey, Hyuckie. It's ok, I'm always here for you if you need to escape. You know my parents will always accept you at home," Hyunjin whispered in the younger's ear, rubbing his back to reassure him. "Besides, I wanna study drama with you too, we've done this together for years and I don't wanna leave you."

Lifting his head from Hyunjin's shoulder and stepping back a little, Donghyuck fell into a chair near the front of the stage. He felt a tad better after releasing his worries to his best friend. The only thing was, he was still worried about his future with his parents and further education if his scholarship were to be rejected.

His teachers, as well as the principal, had put good words about him and the plays he was in during his high school life. They had also written about how his performance had improved every time a show was put on.

"Are you sure you wanna stick with me, Jinnie?" Donghyuck whispered, staring at the other boy. No, he didn't have a crush on Hyunjin. The older had started crushing on another boy in their year from the start of high school and Hyuck encouraged it whole-heartedly.

"Of course Hyuckie. You supported me throughout high school and with him and I'll do the same for you." Helping Donghyuck up from the chair, the two friends hugged again, a promise to not leave each other's sides.

Through the speaker, the bell rang, symbolising the fourth period starting soon. The two separated from the hug, quickly packing up their belongings and exiting the auditorium. Since they didn't have the same classes, they waved goodbye to each other and left in different directions.

Hearing the bell ring for class, Chenle stuffed his sheet music into the small bag he carried around and left the music room. His math teacher would send him to detention if he were late to his class. Math wasn't his favourite class, but since he excelled in it, he had to take an advanced class. That included a strict teacher who didn't hesitate to put someone in detention for being late, slacking off or not handing in homework.

Barely making it into class before the bell rang, Chenle took his place near the back of the room and took his math supplies out of his bag. The teacher hadn't entered the room yet, leaving his classmates to whisper to their friends.

"Hey, Chenle," he heard two voices from his left side. Holding in the urge to roll his eyes, he turned to see Beomgyu and Jeongin staring at him.

"What are you doing after school? It's been a while," Jeongin asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief and something else that Chenle didn't see often.

"Practising." He couldn't tell the two about his other plans involving a mysterious letter.

"But you're always practising, Chenle!" Beomgyu whined from the other side of Jeongin, making the youngest roll his eyes and turn away.

"It's the school play. I need to get this right." Chenle didn't respond to anything else the two said, focusing his eyes up to the blackboard when the teacher walked in. The rest of the class followed through as normal, leading to his next class 50 minutes later.

He heard the two troublemakers following him so he quickly ducked between other students to blend in. Chenle was moving so fast that he wasn't watching where he was going, therefore running into another student. His sheet music and binders of school work flew out onto the ground, as well as the two students themselves.

"Watch where you're going, fucktard!" The other shouted at him. Chenle was trying to pick up all of his work off the ground and escape before the other could hurt him. "Answer me!"

Jaemin was already tired of today, even before having to meet with five strangers after school. He had already gotten detention for showing up to his homeroom late, which was set to happen the day after. He almost had a punch on with someone whom he hated and vice versa and now this kid runs into him.

He hadn't meant to release all his pent up anger on the kid, who looked apologetic already, but he was already tipped over the edge. The guy was trying to pack up all his stuff before the bell but so much of it was scattered around him.

Getting up from the floor, Jaemin walked around the guy and helped him in picking up the loose sheets of paper from binders. He didn't dare look at the writing, since he was also the one at fault. The boy was staring at him as he came over and kneeled next to him, holding out the paper.

"Hey, I'm sorry for shouting at you. It wasn't your fault. I've just had a really bad day today and I accidentally released my anger on you." He hoped the apology was sincere enough as he helped the boy stand up from the ground.

"Thanks... You don't seem like the kind of person to scream at people anyway." The kid ran off down the hallway. Jaemin hoped that meant that they accepted his apology. Turning in the opposite direction, Jaemin continued on his way, wanting to be ready for later.

It was quiet in the hallways now, most of the school already in their respective classes. He was probably one of the only students still out of class at this time but, that didn't matter to the senior. Jaemin liked the silence of the hallway and the muffled voices of students behind classroom doors. Small footsteps from behind alerted him of someone else in the hallway. Before he could turn around, however, the person bumped into his back.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked the person, who wouldn't lift his head from Jaemin's back. Attempting to turn around without disturbing them, he managed and took a look at them. It was a boy, shorter than Jaemin, and black hair.

"No, not really." He replied, keeping his head low. Gently grabbing the boy's hands, he finally looked up at him. A little bit of shock was written over his features, but it looked like he appreciated the support.

"What happened? I'm taking you to the bathroom..." Jaemin muttered, leading the boy to the nearest men's bathroom. There were small flecks of blood on his face and the cut in his lip didn't look good either. Beneath the layer of concealer on his skin, dark purple bruises were appearing.

"I'm being bullied by some jocks in my year. It's been happening since my freshman year..." The boy spilled out in unclear Korean. Was he a foreigner?

"Do you know why they would do this to you? I don't think you've done anything to provoke them," Jaemin whispered as he cleaned the blood off the boy's face.

"Sometimes I think it's because I'm not from Korea and they make fun of my accent and height." So he was right. The boy is a foreigner. "I moved here at the beginning of my freshman year. My friend got us an apartment to share but he's a first-year in university so he isn't around much. We had a younger student move in with us at the start of the year and we get along well, but..."

"It isn't your hyung?" Jaemin contributed. The other nodded.

Renjun hadn't meant to run into them again, they were just everywhere he went. They were also much faster than him, being on a school sports team each. When he was hiding from them in the school and avoiding class, he accidentally hit another student wandering the corridors. Now he was cleaning the blood off Renjun's face and talking with him.

"He was there with me when I left home and when he helped me adjust to high school in a foreign country. Now I have my other roommate as well, but we only met this year. He doesn't know the full extent of the bullying issue." Renjun rambled, unintentionally jerking his head from where the other was helping him.

"Hey, I understand. One of my older friends and I lost contact when he went to university and I haven't seen him since. He was also a foreigner, like you. My friends now understand me but they also don't think about how they treat me. It hurts a bit when they try and force me to go to parties and stuff, like during the carnival last week. I enjoyed myself, even if I was alone." The other ranted.

"I'll be honest, it was nice being alone for once. The tteokbokki they served was so good!" Renjun exclaimed quietly. The other was about to reply when the bell rang, signalling the seniors free period.

"We should get out of here before people assume something..." The guy mumbled, Renjun nodding as they separated from each other.

"Thanks for helping me with my face. I'm Renjun," he introduced.

"Jaemin." He hadn't thought about the meeting in the time he had been with Jaemin, even after worrying about it for the whole morning.

"Park Jisung!" He heard a voice yelling his name from the stands. Rolling his eyes, Jisung turned to see Taehyun and Woonggi waving at him.

"Don't you have anything better to do than watching me?" Jisung yelled back, smiling a little. He wouldn't admit it, but he cares about his friends a lot, even if he's one of the most popular kids in his year. Jisung would always choose his friends over anyone else. However, the contents of the letter and the group chat had remained in his head all week.

He didn't know what to expect from the meeting and if he would get along with the other boys but he always had his friends to fall back on.

"It's a free period, Jisungie!" Woonggi yelled back, grinning brightly.

"I'm literally just practising, guys!" The older replied, smiling. He looked around to his teammates on the baseball field, practising together or alone. Staring at the pitcher in front of him, Jisung got ready to hit the ball, watching it leave his teammate's hand. Swinging his bat, he struck the ball with a loud noise and watched it fly over to the opposite side of the field.

"Good swing, captain!" One of his other teammates said, returning the ball to him.

"I'm still co-captain, hyung. Next year when Yangyang-hyung graduates, I'll be captain." Jisung was also the youngest member of the team, which was considered impressive by the school. He was also an A+ student and the principal kept saying that'll get him into university when the time comes.

But the only reason Jisung had straight A's was because of his father. His mother had passed away just after he had started high school. His dad provided for both himself and Jisung, supporting him with the baseball team. The only thing was that his father expected him to get the best grades to stay on the team. Otherwise, he'd be pulled out of the team to focus on his studies to get into university.

Once practice was over and Yangyang had praised the team, Jisung wandered up to where Taehyun and Woonggi were, where they had been joined by one of their other friends. Hueningkai waved at him happily as Jisung stood next to the three of them.

"What are we doing after school?" Taehyun asked the three of them once they were walking back to the main school building.

"I'm busy after school. My dad needs help with painting the outside wall. The paint is starting to peel off." Even though Jisung lived in an apartment with two other people, he went home regularly to check in on his father in case something had happened.

"That's a bummer. We could've gone to the arcade or something," Hueningkai remarked, the two others agreeing.

"Sorry guys. Maybe over the weekend sometime." The boys nodded wistfully before separating at the main building. Taehyun and Hueningkai had extra-curricular activities and Woonggi was heading home, so Jisung was left alone. He decided to walk around the school for a bit, waiting until it was 2:50 before making his way to the arts wing.

Half an hour later, his phone clock read '2:49' and Jisung started walking upstairs to the arts wing on the third floor. He noticed someone standing around a door at the far end of the hallway wearing a hoodie which covered their head and face. This could be someone a part of the Ridin' Club.

Jisung heard footsteps behind him, sensing that they were coming up the stairs so he lowered his gaze to the ground. He felt bad for lying to his best friends but no one could know about this. The letter he had received read that 'you don't have to be a star to be popular', Jisung wondering how the person knew.

Approaching the door where the other person was standing, he slid down the wall into a sitting position, waiting for the others. He was 99% sure he knew one of the other people in the club, according to his contacts list. As he was getting lost in his thoughts, the door opened, revealing a guy wearing the schools uniform. His phone read 3:00 and the person stepped aside, letting the two enter the room.

As Jisung looked around, his eyes fell on someone he instantly recognised and shouted out, "Hyung?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **other idols mentioned:**
> 
> **jeno's friends:** chani (SF9), giwook (cya - onewe), sanha (astro), jaeyun (too)  
>  **donghyuck's friend:** hyunjin (stray kids)  
>  **chenle's friends:** beomgyu (txt), jeongin (stray kids)  
>  **jisung's friends:** taehyun (txt), woonggi (too), hueningkai (txt)


	4. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the first club meeting.

Hearing the familiar voice, Renjun turned and stared at the younger.

"Jisung?"

“Renjun-hyung?”

"Wait, you two know each other?" Jaemin asked from his left side, confusion lacing his voice as he looked between the two boys.

"We're roommates," the two answered together. The others stared at the two, still confused. Renjun heard someone whispering under their breath as the door opened again, revealing a younger boy in the doorway with a thick binder in his hand.

"Oh my..." He mumbled, walking over to the couch and sitting down behind it.

"Hey, are you ok from earlier?" Jaemin asked the boy, the others in the room now staring at them. There wasn't an answer from the other, but he had curled into himself, indicating something had happened between them.

The room had fallen into an uncomfortable silence, the six boys doing anything but talk to each other. Six phones went off simultaneously, with the same notification in the same group chat.

**xxx-xxx-xxx:**   
_can you guys please introduce yourself at least? this is awkward._

"May as well... I'm Na Jaemin," he introduced quietly from the couch.

"I know you. You were in two of my classes in freshman year. And you," the male pointed at another boy. "You've been in all the school plays since you've been here."

"That's right. Lee Donghyuck, I guess. Part of the school theatre." The boys fell into an uncomfortable quietness again, the silence suffocating in the large room. Soft sounds were coming from someone's phone, probably texting friends who unaware of the meeting.

"If no one else is talking, I will. What happened between you two?" He pointed at Jaemin and Chenle, who were both fiddling with their phones. Donghyuck barely heard the boy speak up from behind the couch.

"Well, my two friends were running after me, but I wasn't watching where I was going so I ran into Jaemin-hyung? Wait, are you older?" Chenle asked, wanting to establish formalities.

"I'm a senior," Jaemin shrugged, looking back down to his lap. "I'm graduating in a month so you won't have to worry about me after that..."

"I don't want to graduate. It's too soon," Renjun added.

"I know what I want to do, but I'm scared of not being able to get into the university I want with a scholarship." The boys heard Donghyuck say quietly. 

"I don't think I'll go to uni, I'm not interested in extending my school life," Jeno said, adding onto the conversation.

"I've got two years to decide what I want to do, but how far will baseball get me in the end?" The youngest lamented, leaning onto the front of the couch where Renjun was sitting.

"Next year will be my final year, and piano is a passion of mine but going to university may not be good for me. Knowing my parents, they'll probably get me in against my wishes and that's what hurts. Not being able to make choices for my life." Chenle rambled, the other five boys listening carefully.

It was silent for a few minutes, the quiet calming after talking about their worries for the future. Jeno heard Chenle standing up, watching the younger lean his torso over the back of the couch.

"Let's do this again. I'm Chenle, part of the orchestra." He introduced, face slightly red.

"Lee Jeno."

"Jisung. I'm on the baseball team."

"And I'm Renjun." The six boys smiled at each other lightly, confirming phone numbers from the group chat and talking amongst themselves quietly.

At 5, the boys left the school together, parting ways at the half-empty parking lot and waving. Renjun and Jisung were walking together back to their apartment when Jisung spoke up.

"Do we tell Hendery-hyung about this?" The thought had been on Jisung's mind since reading the letter. 

"Maybe not... What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Renjun answered as they entered the complex and took the elevator to their floor. Opening the door to their apartment, the two boys heard a movie playing from the lounge.

"Hyung, we're home!" Jisung called, dropping his bag onto a chair.

"Hey, guys, how was school?" Hendery answered from the other room.

"Same as every day," Renjun said bluntly, entering the shared bathroom and closing the door. The next minute, Jisung could hear the shower running. He walked over to the couch, greeting the guest sitting next to Hendery.

"Hi, Xiaojun-hyung. How long have you been here?" Jisung asked the older, reaching out to steal some of the chips between the two men.

"Since 3, I think? We've just been watching a movie. It's close to the end though so I might go home and check on my cousin." Xiaojun smiled at the younger. After stealing a few more chips, Jisung left the boyfriends alone and entered his room, flopping onto his bed. He heard the bathroom door open, meaning Renjun was finished in the shower. He grabbed some other clothes, heading into the bathroom and turning on the shower.

"Good afternoon Hyuck!" A soft voice greeted him from his left side. Donghyuck smiled at the younger boy standing behind the counter, before dropping his backpack in the storeroom and changing quickly.

"Hey 'Taro, has it been busy?" Hyuck asked quietly once he was back in the front of the shop. The younger nodded, smiling at the other as he took his place behind the counter. 

Shotaro was a Japanese transferee in their freshman year and someone Donghyuck only got close to after getting this job in the convenience store near their school.

"How's Hyunjin?" Shotaro asked, cleaning a spot where hot water had been spilled.

"He's okay, still popular and he hangs out with me. I don't know why he hangs around me so much..." Donghyuck trailed off.

"There are many reasons to hang around you, Hyuckie." The Japanese boy responded, wringing the cloth out in the sink. He scowled at the cloth before tossing it away from him, Shotaro now embracing him in a hug.

Shotaro was still learning the language and culture of Korea, but at this moment, Donghyuck was so glad for this Japanese transfer who brightened up his life a bit more. He was also glad for Hyunjin, his best friend who could cheer him up whenever he needed it. Maybe the boys he had met today would help him even more. Or possibly leave him. 

Shaking his head slightly, Donghyuck and Shotaro broke apart with the younger smiling at him. For the first time in a while, he thought he might be able to escape from his rough life with his closest friends.

Once he had gotten home, Jeno greeted his mother and father before heading upstairs and throwing his bag onto the bed. Flopping down after, he thought back to what had happened that day so far. He still wasn't sure what excuse to tell his friends whenever the secret club decided to get together, but that was a thought for the future.

Rummaging through his bag for his phone, he turned it on to see a few texts from his friends. Concerns for his wellbeing were the main topic of conversation so he switched the device off, tossing it away from him. Finding his homework from his bag, he stumbled to his desk and started to study for his exams, which were coming up fast.

"Jeno!" Snapping out his study haze at his mother's voice, he abandoned the worksheets and hurried downstairs for dinner. Halfway through dinner, his father asked how his day was and why he was out later.

"Same old, same old," he mused. "The others wanted to hang out together after school so we just walked around a bit."

Jeno didn't like lying to his parents but he didn't want to talk about the club, especially as they had only met today, besides Jisung and Renjun it seemed. As long his friends didn't pry into what he was doing after school, he would be fine to keep this a secret.

"Are you thinking about applications?" His mother asked, bringing Jeno back down to earth. Right, graduation in a month. He just shrugged, leaving the conversation on that note. Cleaning up his plate and utensils, he thanked his parents with a smile before heading back to his room. 

A few hours later, his mother entered his room. He was still trying to study for exams but he looked up when he heard the door close. His mother looked extremely tired and her soft smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Are you ok, mum?" Jeno asked, pausing the song that was playing and giving the woman his full attention.

"Of course, sweetheart." She brushed the hair out of his eyes and leaned down to kiss him on the head. "Good night, Jeno." She smiled lightly and exited the room, closing the door quietly. Getting up out his chair, he stretched before heading into the bathroom to shower before falling asleep.

"Jaemin!" The male resisted the urge to roll his eyes and continue walking, but he turned anyway, seeing Dongmyeong with his twin trailing behind the older. 

"What's up, 'Myeong? Dongju?" Jaemin asked nonchalantly as the twins stood on either side of him.

"Just saw you walking and wanted to talk to you." The older twin told him as they continued to walk.

"Can't be good..." Dongju trailed off from his other side, Jaemin only just hearing it. Looking up, he saw Chenle hurrying across the road to the other pavement and continuing to walk to his own home. Jaemin wanted to get home quickly now, seeing the younger male. To avoid suspicion, he turned to look Dongmyeong in the face, just to be polite. The elder's blonde hair didn't stick out per se but was noticeable, to say the least. 

"I need to get home quickly, 'Myeong. What is it?" The younger rushed, almost trying to run off on the twins. Dongmyeong was almost the ringleader of their group, usually deciding on what they did after school and such, but seeing as Jaemin had run off to meet the other boys... He wouldn't be surprised if the other boys had talked about ditching him. It was a dick move but they had been leading up to it for months. Maybe not so much Jongho, but the others... Most likely.

"The others and I were talking after school today when you didn't show up..." He trailed off and Jaemin was almost certain he knew where this conversation was going. He noticed Dongju a little further ahead of them, trying to stay out of their 'talk'.

"You seem so much more distant to us. You got other friends to talk to now, Na Jaemin?" The words were what he was expecting, but not the tone that Dongmyeong had used. It was almost... poisonous.

"You can just say it. You don't want to be around me anymore. I have been feeling distant. Something changed in you guys this year. I don't want in on it." Jaemin finally expressed what had been on his mind and sped away towards his house, away from Dongmyeong. He wasn't sad, but somehow the tears came out against his will.

Heading up into his apartment, he noticed one pair of shoes was missing, which meant Xiaojun wasn't home yet. He was probably still at his boyfriend's apartment. Just as he came out of the bathroom, the front door opened and his cousin came inside.

"Hey, Lele! How was your day?" The older asked, toeing off his shoes and stacking them neatly on the shoe rack by the door.

"It was good. Jeongin and Beomgyu were the same as usual, but I think I made friends with a senior?" Well, it wasn't a complete lie. He did make friends with a senior, four of them to be correct.

"That's great, Lele. Do you want food?" Xiaojun asked, heading toward their small kitchen and pulling out some leftovers from the fridge.

"Of course, ge!" The cousins sat at the table once the food was finished heating up and just ate while talking.

"How's Sungchan? I haven't seen him recently," the older questioned, picking up some rice with his chopsticks.

"He's good. I saw him yesterday in the music room, practising like always. How's Hendery?" Chenle responded, mimicking his cousin's actions.

"I saw his roommates today. They're around your age, have I told you that?" The younger shook his head. He had expected Xiaojun's boyfriend to live with men from his school but that was a pleasant surprise.

"What are their names? I might know them." Chenle asked, genuinely curious.

"From staying in the music room at every chance?" Xiaojun teased, poking the younger with a chopstick.

"Just tell me, ge!" He begged, dropping his chopsticks into his bowl. Xiaojun grabbed the empty bowls and placed them into the sink to wash later. Picking up the placemats, he finally responded.

"Jisung and Renjun? Younger and older than you," his cousin smiled, seemingly oblivious to Chenle gaping like a fish at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry about prolonging this chapter, i had been struggling with school work and had lost a bit of motivation over my break to write, but hopefully, i will be better this year!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a kudos or a comment! I would really appreciate the support!


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